WORLD Hepatitis Day is observed annually on the 28th of July and is dedicated to raising awareness of viral hepatitis and the diseases that it causes. Championed by the World Hepatitis Alliance, the theme this year is “Take Action: Test, Treat, Vaccinate.” The globe celebrates World Hepatitis Day in honour of Dr. Baruch Blumberg’s birthday. Dr. Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and developed the hepatitis B vaccine two years later. The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners across the globe have come together to highlight the urgency of eliminating hepatitis by 2030. This article delves into the significance of World Hepatitis Day, the types of hepatitis, prevention methods, available treatments, and how you can get involved. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, often caused by viral infections. Five main strains of the hepatitis virus—A, B, C, D, and E—are responsible for most cases. Hepatitis B and C are the most common, accounting for over 90% of hepatitis-related deaths. Chronic hepatitis infections can lead to severe health issues, including cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. According to WHO estimates, approximately 325 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis, and over 1.3 million deaths occur annually due to hepatitis-related complications.
Under the theme “It’s Time for Action,” World Hepatitis Day emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts to expand access to diagnosis and treatment. Currently, only 1 in 4 people with hepatitis B and 1 in 2 with hepatitis C are diagnosed, with even fewer receiving appropriate treatment. Bringing prevention and treatment services to the primary healthcare level can save lives, prevent new infections, reduce liver cancer, decrease deaths, lower healthcare costs, and help achieve the goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030.The region has made significant progress in controlling hepatitis B through national vaccination programs. In 2023, 80% of newborns received a timely birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, and 93% completed a 3-dose vaccination series for long-term protection. The region has met the 2020 target of reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen to below 1% in young children and is on track to achieve future targets of 0.5% by 2025 and 0.1% by 2030.
WHO also continues to support countries in monitoring their progress and validating hepatitis elimination through the newly established Regional Validation Advisory Group on Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis, and Accelerated Control of Viral Hepatitis in the Western Pacific Region (WP RVAG). This expert panel will provide independent guidance on countries’ efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, and to achieve overall hepatitis elimination goals in the Western Pacific Region. This World Hepatitis Day, we call on countries to expand access to simplified and equitable interventions for viral hepatitis. Let us commit to taking bold and decisive action. Together, we can make hepatitis elimination a reality by 2030. World Hepatitis Day 2024 will amplify the voices of people living with hepatitis, demanding testing, treatment, vaccinations, and the end of stigma. It will make it clear there is no time to waste and that leaders, politicians, doctors, and communities must act now.
People living with hepatitis are still not being heard or getting the resources they need, despite the global scale of the problem. This World Hepatitis Day, it’s time for action. You have only got one life, and you have only got one liver. Hepatitis can devastate both. Your liver silently performs over 500 vital functions every single day to keep you alive. But viral hepatitis infection is also silent, with symptoms only appearing once the disease is advanced. Over one million hepatitis-related deaths occur every single year and one new chronic infection every ten seconds. And that’s why liver health is fundamental to human health. Many hepatitis deaths are preventable with vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C. Protect yourself and your loved ones by consulting your healthcare provider. WHO aims to eliminate hepatitis by 2030, with targets to reduce new hepatitis B and C infections by 90%, decrease hepatitis-related deaths by 65%, and ensure 90% diagnosis and 80% treatment rates for those eligible. In 2024, let’s be proactive—this World Hepatitis Day, it’s time for action.
— The writer is retired officer of Sindh Govt.
